Sugar-drier.



W. H. HANNAM & W. E. MURRAY.

SUGAR DRIER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 22, 1911.

Patented Mar. 12,1912.

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lri N W. H. HANNAM & W. E. MURRAY.

SUGAR DRIER.

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Patented Mar. 12, 1912.

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I lllllll/llllllllllllllllll To all whom it may concern:

UNITED STATES PATENT oFFioE- WILLIAM H. HANNAM AND WARREN E. MURRAY, 01?SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA ASSIGNORS TO WESTERN SUGAR REFINING COMPANY,OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALI- FORNIA, A CORPORATION OF CALIFDRNIA.

SUGAR-DRIER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 12, 1912.

Application filed June 22, 1911 Serial No. 634,767.

Be it known that we, WILLIAM H. HAN- NAM and WARREN E. MURRAY, citizensof the United States, residing in the city and county of San Franciscoand State of California, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Sugar-Driers, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to a simple, eflicient, durable andinexpensive device for the drying of sugar to free the same of themoisture contained therein, so as to prevent the adhering and cloggingof the sugar crystals, which is a decided objection to the handling ofthe sugar with the moisture therein; the object of the invention beingto subject each grain of the sugar to the action of propellin jets ofheated air, which removes or expe s all moisture from the sugar Withoutin any manner destroying or dullin the luster and brilliancy of thecrystai.

To comprehend the invention reference should be had to the accompanyingsheets of drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional Viewtaken through the drying apparatus and feed mechanism for delivering thesugar thereto, illustrating one form of means for supplying heated airunder pressure to the interior of the heat circulatin chamber thereof.Fig. 2 is a cross sectional'view taken on line m--m- Fig. l of thedrawings. Fig. 3 is a detail plan view of the transversely slottedgrating within the drier. Fig. 4: is an enlarged detail view disclosinga series of the blocks composing said grat- 1n in the drawings, thenumeral 1 is used to designate a suitable drying structure, the interiorof which constitutes, a drying cham her 2 through which the sugar ispassed.-

.6, the outer end of which is substantially closed by an endwall 7.

The diaphragm or grating is composed of the longitudinal supportingpieces 8, one secured to each of the bottom side walls 4, and a seriesof transversely disposed Wooden pieces or blocks 9 fitted within andsustained by the supporting pieces 8. These transverse pieces or blocks9 are cut away on one face thereof at an incline as shown at 10, the cutcommencing at a point approximately one third the distance from theupper edge of the'block and continued to the bottom edge thereof. Theseblocks are fitted within or between the supporting pieces 8 a distanceapart slightly less than the size of the sugar crystals, so that anordinary size crystal cannot fall through or pass between said spacedblocks into the hot air chamber 6. When the said blocks are properlyarranged within the drying chamber 2, a grate surface is formed for theheating chamber 6 provided with a series of inclined or angular disposedpassageways 11, which communicate with the sub-' stantially verticalpassage-way 12.

Hot air is admitted into the heat chamber. 6 by the conduit 13, whichextends from a blower 14.- taking hot air from a suitable heater 15through the conduit- 16. The hot air drawn from the heater 15 is forcedinto the lower chamber 6 under pressure by the blower 14, andcirculating within said chamber escapes therefrom through thepassageways of the grating into the drying chamber 2 in the form ofheated air jets, the inflowing hot air being directed upwardly withinthe chamber 6 by means of the fixed deflector 17 arranged therein inadvance of the discharge opening of the conduit 13.

The sugar to be dried is delivered into the feed hopper 18, situated atthe forward end of the drier, and the sugar is fed from said hopper intothe drying chamber 2 by means of the worm feeder 19, located in thebottom of the hopper 18 and partly extended within the chamber 2, thesugar discharged from the worm feeder 19 being directed onto the slottedgrating by means of the incline 20. As the sugar falls onto the saidgrating the same 'is intercepted by the first of the series of air jetsdischarging through the grating and the grains or crystals of the sugarare forced upwardly, and falling downwardly by gravity the are met bythe next series of hot air jets and again forced upwardly, being thusgradually prodrying chamber 2 toward the discharge outlet 5, the sameare subjected to the action of the jets of heated air, and owing to thepressure under which the said jets are discharged into the chamber 2 thecrystals are maintained in an agitated condition, being turned over andover by the air jets and gradually conveyed toward the discharge end ofthe grating or slotted covering wall for the chamber 6.

Owing to the angular disposition of the openings or passages of thegrating, the jets of hot air impinge onto the separated crystals ofsugar at an outward inclination, which prevents the crystals banking atany point on the surface of the grating, which the same would tend to doin case the heated air jets discharged in a direct vertical line. It isthe pressure of the air jets and the angle of their discharge whichserves to slowly, but gradually work the crystals toward the dischargeend of the grating, the

time of travel required for the crystals of sugar being sufficient toenable the heated air jets to expel all moisture therefrom.

To provide against the upwardly driven crystals describing too great acurve or path of movement within the drying chamber 2, which would tendto rapidly propel the same toward the discharge end of the grating andskip a number of the air jets, a series of baffles are suspended withinthe chamber 2 a slight distance above and throughout the length of thegrating, each baffle comprising a transversely disposed open frame 21covered with a wire mesh 22. These bailie frames 21 conform to the shapeof-the chamber 2 and are suspended from the-roof 23 of the drier, andserve as transverse partition walls. With these bailies situated withinthe drying chamber 2, as the crystals of sugar'are forced upwardly theyimpinge or strike against the mesh cov- .ering of the bafiles, whichbreaks or arrests the movement thereof, causing the same to fall bygravity toward thesurface of the grating until they are met by the nextseries of air jets, which throw the same upwardly against the secondbaflies, and so on throughout their line of travel.

Some of the finer particles of the sugar will work through thetransverse slots or passage-ways of the grating and find their way intothe heating chamberv 6, but such of the "finer particles will be forcedalong the bottomfof the said chamber and over the incline 24 toward theoutlet opening 25 by ent invention, the essential feature of whichresides in propelling the crystals of sugar through the drying chamberbythe application of a series of air jet streams successively directedthereagainst throughout their line of travel.

While the invention has been described for the drying of sugar its useis not limited to such material, as the same may be utilized for theexpelling of moisture from granular material generally.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed asnew and desired tobe protected by Letters Patent is- .1. In an apparatus for drying sugar,the combination with a drying chamber provided with a discharge outlet,of an air receiving chamber, a cover for said chamber provided with aseries of transversel disposed inclined passage-ways establishingcommunication with the drying chamber, means for delivering sugar to bedried onto the covering for the heat chamber, and mechanism forsupplying hot air into said chamber and forcing the same into the dryingchamber as jet streams of heated air.

2. In an apparatus for drying sugar, the combination with a dryingstructure having its interior divided into a drying chamber and an airreceiving chamber, of a covering for the heat receiving chamber providedwith a series of transversely disposed inclined passage-waysestablishing communication with the drying chamber, a plurality oftransversely disposed baffles suspended within the drying chamber, adischarge outlet extended from said chamber, means for delivering sugaronto the covering for the air receiving chamber, and mechanism fordelivering hotair into the said chamber and forcing the same therefrominto the drying chamber as jet streams of heated air.

3. In an apparatus for the described purpose, the combination with adrying structure the interior of which is provided with I a dryingchamber and an air circulating chamber, ofa grated covering for the heatcirculating chamber, a feeder for delivering material to be dried withinthe drying cham ber, means for delivering heated air under pressure intothe air receiving chamber and forcing the same therefrom into the dryingchamber through the grated covering in the form of air jets, and adischarge outlet extended from the drying chamber.

an air receiving chamber, the said heat receiving chamber being providedwith an outlet opening, an lncline extended from the floor of saidchamber to the outlet opening thereof, of a transversely slottedcoveringfor the air receiving chamber, a feeder for deliverin material to bedried into the drying cham er, means for forcing heated air underpressure into 'the air receiving chamber and from said chamber into thedrying chamber as jet streams, and a dischargeoutlet extended from thedrying chamber for the driedmaterial.

5. In an apparatus for the described-purpose, the combination with adrying structure provided with a' drying chamber and an air receivingchamber,-of a transversely slotted covering for the air receivingchamher, a series of transversely disposed screened bafiles suspendedwithin the drying chamber, a .feeder for delivering material .to bedried into the drying chamber,-

and means for delivering heated air into the air receiving chamber.

6.- In an apparatus for the described purpose, the combination with adrying structure provided with a drying chamber and an air receivingchamber, of a covering for the air receiving chamber composed of aseries of transversely disposed pieces spaced apart, devices forsupporting the same within the drying chamber, a feeder for deliveringmaterial to be dried into the said chamber, and means for supplyingheated air under pressure within the air receiving chamber and forcingthe same therefrom into the drying chamber as jets of heated air.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification inthe presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM H. HANNAM. WARREN E. MURRAY.

\ Witnessesz I N. A. ACKER,

D. B. RICHARDS.

